


The Best Laid Plans

by drayton



Category: Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 10:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2225622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drayton/pseuds/drayton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First meetings are critical, and often happen by chance.  Second meetings usually happen by design, and carry their own importance.  Set a few months after <em>The Doomsday Book</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best Laid Plans

_I should go straight back to London_ , Colin thought, as he stepped off the Tube in Oxford.

Like most of his impromptu plans, this one had begun well enough. Ten days earlier, his mother had approached him tentatively, saying, “Colin, dear, about Easter…” and he’d blurted out, “Mum, can I stay with a friend for the holiday?” before she could finish a sentence. His mother, looking surprised but relieved, had readily agreed.

That was the good part: he could spend Easter in Oxford instead of suffering through a tense vacation with his mother and her necrotic livein, Eric. Something must have gone wrong during their Christmas holiday, because she and Eric had been not fighting in the sort of strained, overly polite way that meant they feared any casual remark could unexpectedly spark a conflagration. Colin suspected whatever his mother was planning for Easter would either mend or utterly destroy the relationship. Either way, Colin counted himself lucky to be absent, as witnessing a screaming row involving his mother would be nearly as embarrassing as being present for a romantic reconciliation.

Yes, he’d definitely done some good quick thinking there. But, like so many of his spur-of-the-moment decisions, he soon realized he’d solved one problem only to create another: he didn’t know how to ask Mr. Dunworthy if he could come for a visit.

On the face of it, it seemed like a small difficulty. Surely he could simply ring him up and say he’d like to stay? Yet, each time Colin had picked up the phone, he’d put it down again without placing the call. What if Dunworthy said no?

In the end, Colin had packed a duffel and left for the Tube without contacting Oxford. No doubt Mr. Dunworthy would take him in if he simply turned up. After all, he’d done it at Christmas, and he hadn’t even known Colin then. And if Dunworthy were away, Colin could return to London, as his mother and Eric would have gone by then.

That plan collapsed halfway to Oxford, when Colin finally admitted to himself he hadn’t called because it would hurt if Dunworthy didn’t want to see him. Furthermore, spending the holiday as an unwanted houseguest would be even more awkward than going away with his mother and Eric.

Dunworthy wouldn’t turn him away. That much was certain: he’d already shown a sense of responsibility for Colin. There was a world of difference, though, between dutiful acceptance and active welcome. Mr. Dunworthy had treated him well at Christmas, but how much of that was down to mere politeness?

As his feet carried him towards Balliol, Colin devised a third plan. His mother had given him permission to spend Easter with a friend. Colin could truthfully tell Dunworthy as much, and say he’d stopped at Oxford for tea on his way to meeting the friend. Colin was sure he’d know how Mr. Dunworthy felt about his company as soon as they met again face-to-face. If he were glad to see Colin, they could have a nice chat, perhaps even make plans for the summer, then Colin would head back to his mother’s empty flat. If Dunworthy seemed reluctant or disinterested… well, no denying it; that would hurt like blood, but Colin could smother his reaction until he was safely back on the Tube.

Bolstered by this new plan, Colin quickened his pace. Spending Easter alone in London wouldn’t be so bad. Neither his mother nor Mr. Dunworthy need ever know he’d done it. And there were always vids to watch and museums to visit and…

He broke off in mid-thought, as he saw Dunworthy crossing the quad at a distance. Colin paused, his legs suddenly wobbly. Dunworthy hadn’t noticed him yet. Perhaps it was time for plan number four?

Too late: Dunworthy had stopped to speak to a student and glanced over in Colin’s direction. Colin couldn’t read his expression at this distance, but Dunworthy beckoned him with a small gesture while continuing his conversation. Colin took a deep breath and started towards Dunworthy, reminding himself that he could do this, he _could_ do this, he only had to control himself for an hour or so, perhaps less.

The student had gone by the time he reached Mr. Dunworthy. Colin looked up at him, and couldn’t read Dunworthy’s expression at all, damn it. Why had he imagined he could?

“Colin,” Dunworthy said neutrally. “Walk with me.” Colin fell into step beside him as they continued across the quad. “Does your mother know you’re here?”

Colin must have hesitated a second too long, because Dunworthy gave him a sideways glance with a slightly raised eyebrow. “She said I could visit a friend for Easter,” Colin said. Dunworthy nodded minutely in satisfaction, then Colin continued, “I thought I’d stop by Oxford to say hello on my way to meet him.”

Dunworthy stopped walking altogether to give Colin a long, searching look. “Colin Michael…” he said, in quiet reproof.

Colin felt his face flame with embarrassment. How had Dunworthy known he was lying? It was completely unfair that Dunworthy could read him so easily and Colin still hadn’t the first idea what the man was thinking.

Colin’s internal musings on the evil nature of the universe carried them the rest of the way across the quad. He was speculating on his chances of persuading Dunworthy not to contact his mother and realizing just how necrotic it would be if Dunworthy did, when he noticed his surroundings.

“These aren’t your rooms,” Colin said, as Dunworthy paused to unlock a door, but a moment later, Colin could see that they were. The furniture was unmistakably Dunworthy’s, unless all the dons had the same tatty Chesterfield, which, knowing Oxford, was a distinct possibility.

“I moved,” Dunworthy replied. “A few weeks after you went back to London. Put your things down. I’ll make a cup of tea and we’ll talk.”

Colin reluctantly set his duffel down with a thud. He suspected Dunworthy’s idea of “talk” would include subjects Colin preferred not to discuss. Colin needed a new plan, and quickly. Could he simply dash off while Dunworthy was making tea? No, that would likely result in another, “Colin Michael,” this time followed by a lengthy telling off, and his mother would still find out he’d left London without a concrete destination.

Sighing gustily, Colin glanced about, wondering why Dunworthy had moved, and then noticed the extra door. This suite of rooms was larger than the old one. Colin wandered over to peer in the open doorway and stopped cold.

The room was tiny, but sunlit and cheerful, and it had a bed. Not a cot; a real bed. And it was obviously meant to be Colin’s because there was brand-new gobstopper and a book about the Crusades lying on it.

Dunworthy hadn’t known he was coming for Easter. Dunworthy hadn’t known if Colin would ever visit him again at all, but he’d moved and set up this room, while his mother…

“Colin?” Dunworthy said, coming up behind him. Colin sniffed noisily but said nothing. Dunworthy grasped his shoulder gently, turning Colin to face him.

Colin swallowed unsteadily, fixing his gaze on one of Dunworthy’s shirt buttons, and willed himself not to cry. _Take deep breaths, and look at something else._ “She said I could visit a friend for Easter. She never asked where I was going,” he admitted.

Colin risked a glance upward and saw Dunworthy’s wince, before finding himself gathered into a brief embrace. “You will always have a room here,” Dunworthy said quietly, and that nearly undid him, but then Dunworthy released him, saying, “The tea will be getting cold. Come; let’s plan our holiday and discuss the rules.”

“Rules?!” Colin said indignantly, while thinking, _I’m staying, I’m staying: now, this summer, any time I like_.

“Mmhmm,” Dunworthy murmured. “Perhaps the first rule should be, ‘There will be no lying.’ ”

“I’m not supposed to lie to you,” Colin acknowledged with bad grace. _I didn’t run off and I’m still getting a bloody lecture_. “And does that mean you won’t be lying to me?” he challenged.

“It does,” Dunworthy replied calmly, while pouring out the tea.

“What about other people? Do I get to lie to other people?” Colin countered, putting on his best cheeky grin.

Dunworthy considered him for a long moment and said dryly, “With prior approval. Drink your tea.”

**Author's Note:**

> "Take deep breaths, and look at something else" is Dunworthy's advice to Colin when they find the corpses in chapter 34 of _The Doomsday Book_.


End file.
